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Undocumented Filipino students benefited from President Barack Obama’s deferred action policy, which has allowed them to temporarily stay and work in the country.

Now, they are calling on the president for permanent solutions to their immigration woes.

But after hearing the bipartisan blueprint of their proposed immigration reform plan yesterday, these students said these are not the kind of solutions they’re looking for.

A 23-year old undocumented nursing student, who asked not to be identified said, “I believe that the bipartisan bill can come up with a more humane way for immigration. If we militarize our borders, that’s going to increase the pain — with more people dying, more people getting hurt.”

Instead of dwelling on border enforcement, these undocumented immigrants said the government should focus on keeping families together — not tearing them apart.

These undocumented students are all members of the group, Aspire, an organization of undocumented students and their supporters. One of their demands is to convince the government to stop the deportations of undocumented students, while immigration reform has not passed.

During Obama’s first term, his administration has deported a record 1.5 million undocumented immigrants.

Twenty-four year old undocumented college student Emmanuel Valenciano said, “If undocumented students are separated from their families before immigration reform is passed, how can it help them?

How can it bring them back to their families?”

They said they also disappointed that the plan will only make it easier for science, math and technology university-degree holders to get green cards — marginalizing those with degrees in other fields.One undocumented Filipina student said, “t’s like an oversight. They don’t see other people who have other kind of degrees. And they also give back to their community, to the economy.” Read more here.

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